


Take Me to the Edge

by ImagineGladions



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Car Racing, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Formula One, Basically an excuse to write my two fave things, Driver!Haru, Driver!Rin, First Meetings, Fluff, Formula 1 AU, Formula 1 and MakoRin, Formula One, Love, M/M, Meet-Cute, Nanase Haruka is a good friend, Reporter!Makoto, RinMako - Freeform, Supportive Bestie Haru is my Aesthetic, Too Many Formula 1 References, makorin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-11-01 01:50:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10911876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImagineGladions/pseuds/ImagineGladions
Summary: Rin digresses, going into racing might be considered the biggest mistake of his life. But, with his father’s shadow looming over him, it just makes him want to get even closer to the edge. Because, it’s not the numbers or the champagne or the winning. It’s getting in the car and meeting death face to face without fear.Everything else is peripheral… except maybe one person.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I've not had to do author's notes for fics before but it looks like I'll be needing to with this one.
> 
> So, before a driver can be in Formula 1, they need to have certain experiences in Motorsports. In other words, it's like starting work at a company, you have to work your way up from the bottom and start as early as you can. Most kids actually start karting at a very young age although I'm not sure what, it's definitely before they turn 10 years old. Rin and Haru would have to have been karting since they were kids and so they already saw each other at races.
> 
> They can enter Formula 3 or GP3 as early as pre-teen age (12-15?) if they're picked up by a team or scouted during karting. And from there, Formula 2 at teen age (15-20+). 
> 
> And only if you're very good and Champion in Formula 2 do you get into Formula 1. The youngest driver to win a race is Max Verstappen at the age of 18. 
> 
> Here is a timeframe for Rin and Haru's progress in Motorsports:
> 
> Haru  
> 7 - Karting  
> 10 - European Circuit (German)  
> 13 - GP3  
> 15 - Formula 2  
> 17 - Formula 1 (Williams)  
> 19 - Formula 1 (Mercedes)
> 
> Rin  
> 6 - Karting  
> 9 - European Circuit (British)  
> 13 - Formula 2 (RBR)  
> 15 - Formula 2 (Ferrari Junior Team)  
> 18 - Formula 1 (Ferrari Junior Team)  
> 19 - Formula 1 (Scuderia Ferrari)
> 
> I put European Juniors karting because there's not really a Karting presence in Asia so assuming they moved somewhere in Europe to race or that they flew to Europe on a regular basis then they would have raced there. If you guys have any questions, I'll answer it to the best of my ability. I'm not an F1 expert but I do love the sport.

Rin Matsuoka grew up with Formula 1 in his blood.

 

The noise, the growl of racing cars lulled him to sleep more than lullabies. The bright flashes of beautifully engineered machines were as natural a sight to him as road cars. While other kids got up at unnaturally early hours to watch cartoons or their favorite new anime, he woke up to watch his father – the first Japanese racer to make it all the way up to one of the leading teams in Formula 1 history – compete in the most prestigious competition in motorsport.

When he dreamed, he dreamed of his father’s smile as he climbed onto the podium with his trophy in his arms and champagne spraying all over him as he stood above his blood red car. Of himself, standing alongside him with an even bigger trophy driving that same car.

Rin’s dreams shift down a darker path after his father’s car – that same blood red – slid across the watery tracks colliding with another, creating a pile up never before seen in Formula 1 history.

The day Rin’s father dies in a crash, he supposes his dream should have died with his father.

And it would have… if not for Nanase Haruka.

 

At the age of fifteen Nanase Haruka got in his silver and blue car, his debut in Formula 2 just about as normal as anyone else’s, and broke the record for Sochi’s fastest time.

“I…” He stuttered, the first thing he’s said since his father died in that terrible crash. Gou and his mother turn to stare at him, eyes wide. “I can do that.” Rin said, his voice soft but steady as he pointed to the television where Nanase was addressing – or more likely ignoring – the press’ questions about the record he’d broken. “I can show the world what dad showed me… when he was racing.”

Rin’s mother looked on worriedly but handed him a slip of paper.

Rin flipped it over and grinned a wide toothy grin.

_Samezuka Ferrari Junior Formula 2 Team_

 

 

* * *

 

 

Nanase Haruka was a racing prodigy.

 

Haru hadn’t always known he’d be so good at racing. It wasn’t particularly popular in Japan despite their past successful racers. Kamui Kobayashi was one despite not being in a better team. Toraichi Matsuoka raced for Ferrari, a feat no one thought possible for an Asian. But, Haru hadn’t cared for them. He hadn’t cared for racing.

 

As usual, it was all Makoto’s fault.

It began on a hot summer day, Haru was up earlier than expected and couldn’t sleep. He’d gone to Makoto’s house in the hope that his friend was up and knew something they could do to pass time. He’d not expected Makoto and his entire family to already be awake watching television.

“Haru-chan! What a nice surprise!” He cheered, realizing something. “You have to come in and see this!” He insisted, pulling Haru into the living room where his family was sitting watching Makoto fondly.

“Oi.” Haru protested weakly, allowing Makoto to pull him down to the floor where they sat in front of the television. “Stop with the chan, alre-” He sighed.

Haru gasped softly, watching the red lights go out and the cars rush ahead each trying to get in front of the other. The speed at which they moved, cutting through the air, was so mesmerizing to watch that Haru couldn’t look away until the red car crossed the finish line followed by silver and blue.

Haru turned to talk to Makoto about it but Makoto’s face was scrunched up, only lighting up when a lone orange car finally crossed the finish line. “You know, Haru. He’s from Iwatobi, too.” He smiled at Haru. “He’s my friend! And he’s a really good driver!” He grinned.

“Oh.” Haru bit his lip, looking away. Had Makoto wanted better friends? Is that why he made friends with this… driver? Was he already bored of Haru?

“But…” Makoto said, pulling Haru back so he was facing him. “I bet Haru-chan would be a much better driver! The best in the whole world!” He said.

Haru hid his blush behind a throw pillow and frowned. “Stop with the chan and I’ll think about coming to the karting track with you.”

Makoto stared up at Haru before lighting up, throwing his arms around Haru.

“Thank you, Haru!”

As usual, it’s all Makoto’s fault, he decides. But he won’t blame him, not when Haru can use his winnings to buy more Mackerel and pay for membership to an indoor pool facility.

 

And when Makoto is invited to join Fox Sports Asia to cover Formula 1, Haru finally picked up the contract they’d given him a year prior and called Sasabe Goro.

"When do I start testing?"


	2. Remember Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru moves to Iwatobi Williams F1 Team.
> 
> Makoto interviews another rookie in Formula 1.
> 
> And Rin is so done with the press... or is he?

> ** Just bring hand luggage, if we don't like each other you can fly back to Berlin.  ** \- Niki Lauda to Daniel Brühl who acted as him in Rush (2013)

Haru always says that whatever is too much effort for him wasn’t worth doing. Or, that’s what he claims. But getting into Formula 1 was in itself a large chore. Karting had been fun for the most part, especially back when he and Makoto would team up and fix up their karts together. When Makoto decided he was better off writing about Haru’s success than sharing in it, then came the interaction and the press and the interviews.

In exchange for abandoning Haru to the wiles of the public, Makoto became his point of contact for anyone and he meant anyone who wanted an interview with him.

Naturally, Makoto’s skill in writing and speaking in English – while abysmal in school – improved by necessity. Who else was going to write about Haru if not Makoto? After all, he did know Haru sometimes more than Haru knew himself.

So, while Haru rose up the ranks of Formula 3 and Formula 2, Makoto took up journalism and landed a job as one of the hosts of Fox Sports Asia.

And good thing because Haru absolutely despised the host they had.

“Alex knows nothing about Formula 1.” He mutters, mostly to Makoto who was finally released from his interview obligations and joined him in his garage. Haru was actually pretty impressed by how fast it had been set up given how last minute his confirmation was.

Not as last minute as when he first joined the team, of course.

It’s been a year since he’d joined Formula 1 and still Haru couldn’t get enough of the rush.

At this point, it was time to finish with the car’s set up. They’d measured Haru’s seat and made Haru’s helmet during winter break so that they could show the public the car by March just before pre-season testing started.

Haru was mostly up to date on how the car itself was set up, how it was engineered. In all honesty, he didn’t care much about telemetry and settings. He just wanted to feel the steering in his hands and the speed of the machine cutting through air.

Getting into Formula 1 was the biggest hassle he’d ever had to go through in his whole life but Haru didn’t regret a single part of it, not when he had a car that could accelerate from one to a hundred in seconds.

“Haru, were you thinking about driving again?” Haru blinked and turned to his best friend and confidant, huffing. “So, you’re excited for the race season to start, Haru?” Makoto smiled knowingly.

Haru almost rolled his eyes. Almost, he won’t deign that question with a reaction that dramatic he’s not _Nagisa_. He ignored the question and turned his attention to the blonde himself.

Nagisa was his teammate and fellow driver for the team. It was said, he’d pirated his own Race Engineer right out of a different team solely through charm. He was honestly not very shocked by the pair up. Iwatobi Williams F1 Team wasn’t a Championship Team like Ferrari or Mercedes, it was an average team. Haru was lucky he’d not been taken in by the likes of teams like Manor or Renault and the like with slower cars and smaller budgets. Most drivers started out as 3rd Drivers, waiting fervently for an older man to leave the sport so they can take their place.

Haru and Nagisa were a wild card team, both having been pulled from Formula 2 just recently. Haru had taken a year as Iwatobi’s 3rd Driver himself the year before while Nagisa was hired that year to replace their other driver after he’d announced he wanted to retire.

Both of them were essentially newbies to the sport in one of their faster cars.

So naturally, it was to be expected by everyone that they would mess up.

“We’re basically lab rats right now!” Nagisa had chimed during their first pre-season test together.

Haru was annoyed with Nagisa, sure. But, after a year of fighting the rest of the grid with just Nagisa at his side and his race engineer, Rei, in his ear he’d come to appreciate his teammates much better.

“Did you hear? Did you hear?” Nagisa asked, tugging Rei over to Haru’s side of the garage with him. “They’ve got someone new on the Ferrari Junior team!”

The junior teams were like probation teams for younger drivers to test them, kind of like a Plan B team. If they did well, they’d move up to the actual Championship teams.

The Ferrari Junior team, Samezuka, was a new junior team set up by an older driver named Mikoshiba Seijuuro in an attempt to stay in motorsports and encourage more drivers to try driving for Ferrari. In a way, Iwatobi was like that for Mercedes too.

“Nagisa-kun, really. Of course they know. Makoto-san is part of the press, remember?” Rei sighed, already tired of covering for Nagisa the whole morning.

Makoto, ever the peace keeper, raised a hand to stop the argument. “I heard about him. I’m supposed to interview him too but I’ve not been given a name yet.”

Nagisa and Rei blinked up at Makoto then at Haru then back at Makoto.

“Mako-chan.” Nagisa’s face grew still. “It’s Matsuoka Rin. He’s Matsuoka Toraichi’s son.”

 

* * *

 

Makoto was a decent reporter. If he wasn’t he wouldn’t be working for Fox Sports and certainly not working the Formula 1 circuit. He’d loved the complexity of Formula 1 since he was little, making his parents wake him up and eventually just waking up by himself when he realized that three in the morning was too early to be watching anything even if it was the Texas Grand Prix.

When Haru had begun racing in Formula 3 and he’d been allowed to watch he was ecstatic. He made sure all his schoolwork was sorted and then wisked away to the great big world trailing after his best friend.

Makoto remembers Matsuoka Toraichi all too well.

Haru was getting debriefed for the Formula 2 race that was taking place in Russia that week. Formula 1 takes precedence on weekends so while they were racing in Suzuka, Formula 2 was racing in Russia and would move to Suzuka the week after.

Makoto was writing for MotoGP it happened.

The biggest pile up on motorsport history happened on a rainy Sunday in Japan. It was pouring rain, all of the drivers were on wet tyres. Makoto and Haru were waiting on the Team Manager when a loud noise from the television caught his attention.

They both gasp at the footage on replay.

Matsuoka Toraichi’s Ferrari spun on the first lap, colliding into his teammate’s car, the cars behind his crashing into each other creating a pile up that took out more than half of the grid, a devastation never before seen in Formula 1.

And, in the back of the grid not knowing about the danger up front, an orange car crashes into the middle of the pile and catches fire.

The stewards rush to help the drivers escape the wreckage but it’s too late for two drivers including the driver of the orange McLaren.

Makoto doesn’t realize he’s shaking until Haru’s hand wraps around his.

They’re no strangers to crashes, there’s usually at least one person hitting the walls in each race, a handful of drivers spinning off the tracks. Even Haru has been in a few incidents through the years. But, there hasn’t been a death in Formula 1 in _years_. It’s become a much safer sport as technology advanced.

But, that didn’t stop those two drivers from dying.

Makoto’s connection to that McLaren driver only made him want to take this interview – Matsuoka Rin’s first interview in Formula 1 – that much more.

“Are you sure you want to take this one, Tachibana-kun?” His station manager, Amakata Miho, asked. “I could ask Hanamura-san to cover for you.”

“No.” Makoto answered, completely confident with his answer. “I can do it.” He said.

He’s not been this confident in his answer since when he decided to become a reporter. There is no way he’s passing this opportunity up.

 

* * *

 

Rin Matsuoka was a racing driver, not a road show.

“You asked for this when you entered this sport.” His physio and friend, Sousuke, smirked teasingly. “Get used to being paraded around, Princess.” He snickered.

Rin grimaced at the nickname. Why couldn’t he get a cool nickname like Flying Finn or Iceman? But no, Sharky was already taken. So he was stuck with _Princess_.

“I say _once_ in an interview that I watch Disney with my sister.” He sighed, running a hand through unruly red hair. “What do I have next?”

“Senpai!” Ai panted, finally catching up to him. “You have an interview with someone from Fox Sports Asia. A Mister Tachibana.” He said, waving his clipboard at Rin. Ai is Rin’s Race Engineer, keeping his schedule is not his job but he fancies himself as a pseudo PR for Rin. God knows Rin needs one.

“Which one is he?” He asked, turning to face the lounge full of press and various personnel.

Ai scanned the room and tilted his head towards the corner of the room. In the corner was a tall broad-shouldered man with sandy brown hair and the most vivacious green eyes RIn had ever seen. “You’re kidding, he’s built like an athlete.” Rin muttered, snapping out of his reverie when Sousuke patted him on the back, _hard_.

“Keep your mouth closed, Princess. You’re drooling.” Sousuke’s eyes twinkled with barely hidden amusement, ushering Rin to the corner table.

Rin batted his hands away with a groan. “Fuck you too, Sou.”

Tachibana stood up and smiled good naturedly, gesturing to the seat opposite him. “It’s nice to meet you, Matsuoka-san.” He greeted in Japanese. “I’m Tachibana Makoto, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today.”

Rin squinted up at Tachibana and gaped. “Tachibana? As in, the Tachibana from GP3? The one I raced in China?” He asked, grinning toothily.

“Ah, so you remembered. I was only filling in because Haru told his Team Manager I Karted with him.” He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No kidding, you were 2nd in the German Karting Circuit for four years.” Rin said, taking a seat.

Tachibana – no, Makoto – shook his head, remembering his karting days fondly. “I’m not the talent. Haru’s always been best in racing.” He shrugged.

“How _is_ Haru? I haven’t raced him since Germany, GP3.”

Makoto grinned.

Looks like this wouldn’t be a _complete_ chore after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MotoGP is basically Motorcycle Racing. Usually, MotoGP and Formula 2 (GP2) happens after Formula 1. For example, if F1 happens in Sochi on a Sunday then F2 and MotoGP happen on Monday.
> 
> Also, the driver who was nicknamed Princess happens to be Nico Rosberg (F1 World Champion 2016). The Flying Finn is Mika Hakkinen and Iceman is Kimi Raikkonen. 
> 
> Drivers usually have physios because the effect of driving at the speed they do affects them physically. They get older faster and they have to strengthen their bodies to be able to take the impact of high speed turns and breaking. 
> 
> Makoto drove until Formula 3 and then decided to take up journalism instead.


	3. Not A Normal Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Haru meet again.
> 
> Makoto is a one in a million reporter.

> _**Twenty-five drivers start every season of Formula One. Each year, two of us die. What kind of person does a job like this? Not a normal man, for sure.**_ \- Niki Lauda, Rush (2013)

The track was clearing out for the night, engineers and race managers filing out of the lobby. Rin wasn’t exceedingly tall, it’s what made him such a great driver, but it had the downside of him losing Ai in the crowd. He told his race engineer to try and see if his taxi to his hotel had made it yet. Rin shook his head, realizing he wouldn’t be seeing Ai anytime soon. He shouldn’t have let Sousuke leave early but the man hated crowds more than anything.

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t realize he’d bumped into someone.

“Ah, sorry about that-” He turned around, gasping when he caught the gaze of familiar blue irises. “Oh! It’s been a while.” He grinned, his teeth probably doing that thing that made him look like a serial killer.

“Rin.” Haru said, unfazed. But, then again, he’s not fazed by a lot of things. “It has.” He nodded, letting the noise of the crowd swallow them up until they were the only ones left in the lobby. “I heard Makoto interviewed you today.”

Rin’s eyes lit up at the memory of his interview. He was actually very relieved that it was Makoto. Anyone else, he’s sure that he would have snapped at the reporter or said something akin to social suicide. Then, Gou would _really_ kill him. Having Makoto as his interviewer made him a lot calmer and more level headed. Makoto had that effect on a lot of people. It made him good at those kinds of coverages. He managed to probe without it being pushy or invasive but still undeniably highlighting on Rin’s experience as a newbie in the most extravagant form of motor racing.

“Rin?”

The racing driver blinked, realizing he hadn’t replied to Haru yet. “Yeah, it was actually fun. He’s really good.” He smiled.

The edges of Haru’s mouth tilted up in pride. “He is.”

“You’re lucky to have him dealing with your press obligations.” Rin groaned, recalling the cotton haired man who was always hounding all the drivers. “You don’t have to deal with Shigino.” He spat.

Judging by the sour look on Haru’s face, it was safe to say that he’d encountered said reporter. “He’s a pain.” Haru said blandly. Shigino Kisumi actually wasn’t all bad but he was overly cheerful and almost always made whoever he is interviewing give away information they hadn’t intended for anyone to know.

“Ah, did you know Haru…” Rin said, suddenly somber. “Back when my dad died, it was watching your race that got me back in the car?” He asked, laughing softly. “When I saw you setting those records I thought… you’re my age. I should be out there with you, setting those records with you. Showing you what a real race is like, wheel to wheel.” He reached out to the double doors with one hand.

Turning to Haru, he nodded. “Your racing showed me what I missed when I lost my dad. So, now that I’m standing on this stage with you, I’ll show you how high I can go.”

Haru blinked for a few seconds in confusion before sighing. “Do whatever you want.” He said, walking away with a soft smile.

Rin stared at him and rolled his eyes. “Same old Haru.”

 

“Tachibana!”

Makoto turned around, spotting his fellow sports journalist approaching him with a magazine clipping in his hand. “Ah, Kasumi-san. Hello.” He greeted, shuffling the stack of papers he was bringing to Amakata in his arms.

“Tachibana! Your scoop on Matsuoka was great!” Kasumi complimented, waving the clipping in Makoto’s face and attempting to sling an arm over Makoto’s shoulders. “It must be great to be close to him.” He said.

Makoto leaned down so that Kasumi wouldn’t strain himself trying to get him in a headlock. “Yeah, Rin’s a good friend. He’s been through a lot but he’s still very hard working. We met in GP3.” He admitted, laughing.

Kasumi’s expression shifted and Makoto decided he didn’t like where he was steering this conversation. “You should have asked him about that too, Tachibana. After all, friends share everything with each other, don’t they?” He smirked.

Makoto’s smile became firm, uneasy. “What do you mean, Kasumi-san?” He asked, giving his co-worker the benefit of the doubt.

“Silly Tachibana! I mean you should have asked about his dad! It would have been a great scoop. You’d be a shoe-in for a lot of writers’ awards-” He laughed boisterously. Makoto’s fists tightened slightly at his sides, shoulders bunching up in disdain as Amakata’s voice pierced through the tension.

“Tachibana-kun! I still need those papers!” She called out, gesturing for him to enter her office.

Makoto ducked away from his co-worker and hurriedly followed after Amakata.

“And Kasumi. Don’t you have work that needs to be submitted today?” She frowned at the older man. “It wouldn’t be good for you to miss a deadline for the second time this week.”

Kasumi clicked his tongue and strutted away, muttering about another great scoop he’d prefer to cover.

Makoto sighed. “Thank you, Amakata-san.” He bowed, setting down Amakata’s paperwork on the desk.

“No need to thank me. It’s scum like Kasumi that give people reason to hate journalists.” Amakata Miho sat behind her wide oak desk, shelves of awards and other journalistic works bound together into books mounted behind her. Her desk faced the floor to ceiling windows of their office. They had an office in Spain but their main office was in Italy near the Ferrari based their own operations.

“I just don’t think it’s good to ask something like that of Rin. It shouldn’t be ok to ask just because we knew each other.” Makoto frowned, looking intensely distressed. “I know it’s normal in this environment but using your friends unfortunate circumstances – even if it was three years ago – just so you can get ahead.” He looked at his editor and station manager and realized her face had taken on a similarly somber expression. “But, of course, I can’t force people to have the same beliefs as me.” He smiled reassuringly.

Amakata breathed out a sigh of relief. “That’s why I assigned you to cover Formula 1, Tachibana-kun.” She admitted. “Most journalists will use their power to amp up the drama, to present Formula 1 as a playground for brats or to oversensationalize rivalries so they look like world wars were being fought on the grid but you don’t. You present them as real people. People that anyone can relate to.” She set a magazine in front of him, the latest issue of F1 Magazine. “That’s how we want people to see these drivers. Not just as gladiators, Tachibana-kun. As _people_.”

Makoto took the magazine in his hands and nodded. “I won’t let you down, Amakata-san.”

“I know you won’t, Tachibana-kun.” Amakata smiled. “You’re a good person.”


End file.
